Durium De Luxe K6 – Eddie Cantor with Phil Spitalny’s Music – 1931

Posted on October 29, 2017 by R. Connor Montgomery

Eddie Cantor in the 1930s. Pictured in Stars of Radio and Things You Would Like to Know About Them.

On Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the stock market on Wall Street crashed, catalyzing an economic descent into a Great Depression. The economy had been in decline prior to the crash, but that event proved to be the point of no return, and the economy dipped continuously until hitting bottom in the winter of 1932-’33. Economists, historians, and economic historians can argue about what caused the crash ’til the cows come home, but whatever set it off, “that’s when we started sliding in the fall of ’29,” as the Light Crust Doughboys once put it, “‘Twas a fall of fifty-fifty, you lost yours and I lost mine, but it made us all more human since the fall of ’29.”

As always, the world of music adhered to the current events, and almost immediately responded to the crash with a wave of new songs. In an effort to cheer the Depression, peppy optimism filled many compositions of the day, such as 1930’s “Cheer Up (Good Times Are Comin’), or 1931’s “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” and “Headin’ for Better Times”. As the hard times dragged on however, the pep began to run out, and—although it always persisted in the music of Ted Lewis and a few others—the optimism began to turn to cynicism, exuded from such songs as “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” from Americana and “Remember My Forgotten Man” from Gold Diggers of 1933 (not to mention the countless blues and hillbilly complaining songs). In 1931, the recently launched satire magazine Ballyhoo took that cynicism to a humorous extreme when they published their theme song, parodying the contemporary “cheer up” songs. Perhaps because its lyrics were quite inflammatory (“let’s hang the fat-head to a tree”)—or perhaps not—their song was recorded by the rather B-list Durium Products Corporation, makers of the fifteen cent Hit-of-the-Week paper records, albeit sung by very A-list talent, old Banjo Eyes himself: Eddie Cantor.

Durium De Luxe K6 was recorded in September of 1931 in New York City. The full personnel of Phil Spitalny’s Music is not known, at least by any source I’ve examined, but is said to include Bunny Berigan and Bob Effros on trumpets and Joe Venuti on violin. Its label is printed with a bold colorblock pattern matching that of the eponymous magazine; it originally came with a sleeve to match, which, unfortunately, has been separated from this copy by the passage of time. These Durium recordings had outstanding fidelity for their time, unfortunately, the paper and celluloid-like material on which they were pressed doesn’t always hold up as well as shellac, and this copy is not in pristine condition, causing some background rumble and some clicks and pops. Nonetheless, the music is still strong, and I hope you’ll find this transfer satisfactory.

On this one-sided, two track paper record, Eddie Cantor sings “Cheer Up”, Mischa and Wesley Portnoff and Norman Anthony’s theme song of Ballyhoo. Then, Phil Spitalny’s Music plays an absolutely fantastic instrumental arrangement of the same tune. Be sure to not confuse this song with “Cheer Up (Good Times Are Comin’)” from the previous year—doing that would be a grave mistake.

Ballyhoo – Theme Song “Cheer Up”, recorded September 1931 by Eddie Cantor with Phil Spitalny’s Music.

Nertz.

Updated with improved audio on March 31, 2018.

Hit of the Week L 3 – Gene Austin and Hit of the Week Orchestra – 1931

Posted on June 25, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

The original sleeve of this Hit of the Week.

Thanks to the release of the free version of Brian Rust’s Jazz Records 1917-1934, I found myself rather preoccupied as of late, and neglected to post in honor of Gene Austin’s birthday, so I’ll have to offer this a little belatedly.

Gene Austin was born Lemuel Eugene Lucas in Gainesville, Texas on June 24, 1900. He grew up in Minden, Louisiana, and learned to play guitar and piano before leaving home at fifteen to join a vaudeville troupe in Houston, Texas. When he got on stage, his voice wooed the audience so that he was offered a job on the spot. In 1917, he joined the Army to fight in the War and wound up in New Orleans, playing piano in Storyville before shipping off. When he got back home, he planned to become a dentist, but ended up going back to vaudeville. Austin first began recording with country musician George Reneau, the “Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains”, for Vocalion and Edison, singing and playing piano, and soon switched to Victor. With the advent of electrical recording, Gene Austin was among the first singers to exploit the more sensitive technique as a “crooner”. His 1927 recording of “My Blue Heaven” was one the best selling and most popular records of the decade. As the ominous clouds of the Great Depression rolled in, Austin was relegated to the budget labels, and as swing became prominent, his style soon began to sound dated. In the mid-1930s, he began appearing in minor roles in motion pictures. Austin continue to sing professionally for many years after falling from the spotlight, and in 1964, ran for governor of Nevada. Besides his singing, Gene Austin was also a songwriter, and originated such standards as “When My Sugar Walks Down the Street”, “How Come You Do Me Like You Do?”, and “The Lonesome Road”. Austin died January 24, 1972 at the age of seventy-one.

Hit of the Week L 3 was recorded in October of 1931 in New York, and released at the newsstands on November 19, 1931. It was Gene Austin’s only Hit of the Week release. These Hit of the Week records were pressed in coated paper and sold for fifteen cents at newsstands. We previously heard Duke Ellington’s band on one of these unusual flexible discs. As part of the latter half of Hit of the Week’s releases, this disc has narrower grooves to accommodate a five minute recording on one side.

On this single sided cardboard record, Gene Austin croons “Now That You’re Gone”. The second tune, “La Paloma” is an instrumental by the Hit of the Week Orchestra.

Now That You’re Gone, recorded October 1931 by Gene Austin and Hit of the Week Orchestra.

Updated with improved audio on May 11, 2017.

Hit of the Week 1046 – Harlem Hot Chocolates – 1930

Posted on September 19, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

To coincide with the beginning of economic downturn in 1930, a company called Durium began producing a line of one-sided laminated paper records known as “Hit of the Week”, which were sold at newsstands rather than traditional stores. These new creations sold fairly well initially and featured some top name artists including Rudy Vallée and Morton Downey. On this particular Hit of the Week, Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Orchestra plays under the moniker “Harlem Hot Chocolates”

Hit of the Week 1046 was recorded sometime in March of 1930, the exact date is unknown, in New York City. It went to the newsstands on May 15, 1930. The all-star Ellington lineup includes Duke on piano and directing, Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, and Freddie Jenkins on trumpets, Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, and Juan Tizol on trombones, Barney Bigard on clarinet and tenor sax, Johnny Hodges on clarinet, soprano sax, and alto sax, Harry Carney on clarinet, alto sax, and baritone sax, Fred Guy on banjo, Wellman Braud on string bass, and Sonny Greer on the drums. Ellington’s manager, the music mogul Irving Mills sings the vocal. This session also produced a recording of “Sing You Sinners”, and was Ellington’s sole session for Hit of the Week.

Here Ellington and the boys play a fine rendition of “St. James Infirmary”, this record’s only side.